Behavioural

Adoptive mom Carol Bolton describes how she struggled but succeeded in developing an attachment relationship with one of her newly-adopted sons.

Last year, we adopted our two sons. Though siblings, the boys had been placed in different foster homes and barely knew each other.

David, aged two, was placed five days after birth with foster parents who were very experienced and knew how to transition a child to a new family. David moved in with us first and the process went very smoothly.

Neurofeedback is a safe and non-invasive alternative treatment for issues such as trauma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, and anxiety. Here Brenda McCreight, adoptive parent, therapist, and author, describes how it works.

Our understanding of the way the brain develops and functions has grown phenomenally in the last five years. The capacity of the brain to change in function and in structure as it adapts to new information has proven to be astounding.

When a young adult has Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or other challenges that might affect his or her ability to drive a vehicle safely, what should parents do to protect their child, other pedestrians and drivers?

Even a typical teen takes quite a while to develop the skills needed to be a safe driver. When the situation is complicated by the fact that the teen or young person has ADHD or FASD, driving becomes even more complicated.

In the 25th of our series, our mom of three kids--Emily, Grant, and Lynn--prepares for a new school year. When she turns to the Internet for tips on making things easier, she finds the advice unrealistic and decides to offer some alternative suggestions.

As glad as I am to get the kids back to the routine of school, there is also a price to pay for that.

In the 26th of our series, our mom of three kids--Emily, Grant, and Lynn--prepares for Halloween. It's an event that, and she’s not sure why, triggers difficult behaviour from Lynn. As Lynn’s behaviour escalates, Mom makes a discovery that results in Lynn learning a hard Halloween lesson.

I feel like the meanest mom in the world. Why does being a “good” mom have to feel so bad sometimes?

Adoptive mom says there's nowhere to turn for adoptive families with mentally ill youth. She also describes the services she'd like to see.

It’s estimated that 10 to 20% of Canadian youth have a mental illness or severe behaviour disorder.

You can bet that these youth are highly represented in the adoption population where mental health concerns are often combined with FASD, ADHD, and the brain damage caused by early abuse and neglect.

In the 28th of our series, our mom of three kids, Emily, Grant and Lynn, evaluates what she wishes she knew before adopting kids with special needs, and what she’s glad she didn’t know.

Things I wish I’d known before adopting special needs kids:

In the 29th of our series, our mom of three kids, Emily, Grant and Lynn, is beside herself when she discovers evidence of Lynn’s bingeing.

Again! Here I am again, writing about food issues. I thought we had dealt with all of this crap. But, clearly, that’s not the case. How many freaking times do we have to go through this? I am so frustrated and angry. It just never ends.

In the 30th of our series, our mom of three kids, Emily, Grant and Lynn, continues her struggle to help Lynn with her food issues.

We need help. Seriously. We need serious help. Seriously.

In the 31st of our series, our mom of three kids--Emily, Grant, and Lynn--struggles with all the paperwork that she hopes will ensure that Lynn gets the help she needs.

With the referrals from the pediatrician for Lynn, came mounds and mounds of paper. I’m having a tough time. It’s overwhelming.